Mbeki's IT plans

This formed part of President Thabo Mbeki's State of the Nation address in parliament this morning, a speech that was otherwise, understandably, dominated by issues around electricity and other uncertainties.

Mbeki said attached to its digital migration plans would be a manufacturing strategy for the development of set-top boxes in SA, which should be finalised by the middle of the year.

As the only local manufacturer of set-top boxes, Altech subsidiary UEC will no doubt benefit from this.

Mbeki also reiterated that information and communications technology (ICT) was a crucial priority both as a facilitator and as a sector in its own right.

Accordingly, Mbeki said it would this year complete the licensing and operationalisation of Broadband Infraco.

The act that will breathe life into this recently formed, state-owned backhaul capacity provider, as signed by the president last month. But although there's been no confirmation of when the legislation will come into effect yet, Infraco representative Vishen Maharaj told Fin24 sister publication Finweek recently that it expected this would be the case during February.

Maharaj said it was anticipated that long-distance connectivity prices would be "significantly" lower than current market prices once Infraco was fully operational.

Mbeki also said in his address today that money had been allocated to Sentech to become a wireless internet wholesaler as well as to finance its digitisation.

He also added that, working with other governments on the continent and the private sector, it would complete the process of launching new undersea cables, to provide cheaper international connectivity.

Also on the topic of ICT and its role in enabling government to deliver services to the Nation, Mbeki said it would intensify the turn-around strategy at Home Affairs. "This includes improving the IT systems, training of staff on the new systems, rooting out corrupt elements, and piloting the new ID card," Mbeki said.

- Fin 24